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Robot Wars: The Sixth Wars/Grand Final
The Grand Final of Robot Wars: The Sixth Wars was a series of battles which determined the Grand Champion of Robot Wars: The Sixth Wars. It was fought between the four robots that had progressed through their heats and the Semi-Finals. There were two Grand Final Eliminators to decide which robots would make the Grand Final, followed by a play-off for third and fourth. Finally, the Grand Champion was determined in the Grand Final. The episode featuring the Grand Final was broadcast on October 4, 2002 on BBC Choice and repeated on March 7, 2003 on BBC Two. Competitors Veterans , qualified from Semi-Final 1) |image= |weight=100kg |dimensions=0.36 x 1.10 x 0.83m |power=Electric motors |weapons=Pneumatic flipper |strengths=Excellent manouverability |weaknesses=2 Wheel drive |from=Langley Moor in Durham |team=Graham Bone & Hazel Heslop }} , qualified from Semi-Final 1) |image= |weight=96kg |dimensions=0.55 x 1.10 x 0.63m |power=2 x 1000W electric motors |weapons=Hydraulic Piercer (According to the statboard, a spike) |strengths=Nimble & very accurate |weaknesses=Slow self-righting |from=Bournemouth in Dorset |team=Ian Lewis, Simon Scott & Vincent Blood }} , qualified from Semi-Final 2) |image= |weight=99kg |dimensions=0.50 x 1.25 x 1.05m |power=2 x 1000W electric motors |weapons=Double-headed axe |strengths=Strong armour |weaknesses=Unpredictable |from=Oxford in Oxfordshire |team=John Reid & Dominic Parkinson }} , qualified from Semi-Final 2) |image= |weight=98kg |dimensions=0.41 x 1.93 x 1.38m |power=2 x 750W electric motors |weapons=Interchangeable |strengths=Interchangeable weaponry |weaknesses=Unreliable |from=Sawtry in Cambridgeshire |team=Andrew Marchant, David Gamble & Bryan Moss }} Jonathan Pearce Series Recap Unlike Series 3-5, Jonathan Pearce's recap was considerably shorter, only detailing the Series 6 campaigns of the four grand finalists, rather than the entire series. Jonathan Pearce also recapped the introduction of Mr Psycho and Growler. The fights covered were: *Heat A **Razer vs. Raging Reality vs. W.A.S.P. vs. Brutus Maximus **Razer vs. Cyrax *Heat B **Firestorm 4 vs. Mega-Hurts 2 vs. Colossus vs. Cedric Slammer **Firestorm 4 vs. Barbaric Response **Firestorm 4 vs. X-Terminator *Heat G **Tornado vs. Inshredable vs. Edge Hog vs. Terror Bull **Tornado vs. Thor **Tornado vs. Anarchy *Heat I **Terrorhurtz vs. A-Kill vs. Reptirron the Second vs. Sabretooth **Terrorhurtz vs. Kronic 2 **Terrorhurtz vs. Panic Attack *Semi-Final 1 **Razer vs. Wild Thing **Firestorm 4 vs. 13 Black **Razer vs. Dantomkia **Firestorm 4 vs. S3 *Semi-Final 2 **Tornado vs. Hypno-Disc **Terrorhurtz vs. Spawn Again **Tornado vs. Dominator 2 **Terrorhurtz vs. Bigger Brother Eliminators Razer (1) vs Terrorhurtz Razer immediately grabbed hold of Terrorhurtz, pushed it into the arena wall and pierced through its outer shell, as Terrorhurtz cleaved thin air with its axe. Razer lifted its opponent, but Terrorhurtz brought itself down by swinging its axe into its baseplate, only for Razer to repeat the process and cause more damage. Razer then reversed into the pit release button and took Terrorhurtz over to the pit of oblivion. Terrorhurtz frantically tried to escape by swinging its axe, but Razer eventually dropped it into the open pit. Winner: Razer Firestorm 4 (3) vs Tornado (12) Tornado started quickly, immediately proving that its scoop was lower to the ground than Firestorm's. Tornado pushed Firestorm 4 around the arena and into Mr. Psycho's CPZ, but it quickly escaped. Firestorm 4 came back strong, pushing Tornado into Shunt, who attacked with the axe, creating a large chasm in Tornado's armour. Firestorm 4 chased Tornado around, and the latter activated the pit release button. Tornado pushed Firestorm 4 into a CPZ, where Shunt attacked both robots, but Firestorm 4 came back and pushed Tornado into another CPZ. On another charge, the two robots' wedges were evenly matched for the first time, which allowed Firestorm 4 to get underneath Tornado on a second try and flipped it over so that Tornado's front wedge became useless. However, Firestorm 4 flipped it back over and Tornado rammed Firestorm 4 into the arena wall again. Tornado got underneath again and tried to push Firestorm 4 into the pit, but just missed, then reversed and pushed Firestorm 4 into the pit of oblivion on the second attempt. Winner: Tornado Playoff Firestorm 4 (3) vs Terrorhurtz Firestorm 4 started quickly and attacked Terrorhurtz, but then it drove into the CPZ and was attacked by Shunt. Terrorhurtz came in, knocked off Firestorm 4's link cover with the axe and dislodged the link itself; however Terrorhurtz stopped moving, its speed controller having malfunctioned. Despite having its main drive incapacitated, Firestorm 4 was still able to turn and shuffle forwards across the arena, resulting in Terrorhurtz being counted out even as it repeatedly threw itself off the floor with its axe. Terrorhurtz continued to swing its axe, momentarily ending up near the Flame Pit. Dead Metal came in and attempted to push Terrorhurtz away; the House Robot backed off after sustaining two axe blows from the defeated Team Hurtz machine, before trying to slice Terrohurtz's side. Shunt eventually pushed Terrorhurtz away, before slowly positioning it onto the Floor Flipper. The Floor Flipper threw Terrorhurtz across the arena, resulting in it landing upside-down. Terrorhurtz self-righted despite being pushed again by Dead Metal, and continued swinging its axe even as the two House Robots surrounded and pitted it. With this, Firestorm 4 claimed third place for the second successive series; the third time in which it finished in this position. Winner: Firestorm 4 Final Razer (1) vs Tornado (12) This was the first (and only) series to feature the top and bottom seeds in the Grand Final together. In the pits before the battle it was revealed that Tornado had been fitted with a giant spinning blade supported by a massive frame, built especially for battles against Razer. The Razer team responded by fitting an upward-facing claw designed to grab hold of Tornado's massive frame. Razer started quickly and went in on the attack, but the frame on Tornado meant that it was unable to grab hold of the main body of the robot, which meant that Tornado was in full control of the battle and repeatedly pushed Razer around the arena. Tornado pushed Razer into the arena wall a few times, and Razer eventually became wedged onto the arena wall and stuck on the side of the arena. Tornado took this opportunity to smash into Razer again and again, before Razer finally broke free. Tornado then pushed Razer into the CPZ, but it was able to escape before Dead Metal could attack. Tornado continued to push Razer around the arena and back into Dead Metal and then into Shunt, who attacked Razer with his axe. The pit release button was activated, but Razer finally managed to grab hold of Tornado's frame and lifted it into the air. Razer carried it toward the pit, but the massive frame of Tornado meant that it would not fit and was suspended above the pit, unable to drop down. Razer held Tornado there for the last ten seconds of the battle and cease was called. The judges inspected both robots for damage and finally decided, with one of the most controversial decisions in the history of Robot Wars, that Tornado (the lowest placed seed) was the new UK Champion. Sixth Wars Grand Champion: Tornado Aftermath Although a close and tense battle, the final between Razer and Tornado attracted significant controversy surrounding the latter's use of its 'anti-crusher weapon'. First seen during the pair's prior encounter in Season 2 of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, the weapon's frame not only succeeded in preventing Razer's crushing beak from reaching Tornado's main chassis - and therefore its exposed tyres - but also resulted in Tornado being unable to fit in the pit. This proved decisive when Razer attempted to pit it during the closing stages of the battle, with the 'anti-crusher weapon' preventing the former from doing so. In addition to referring to the weapon as an 'anti-pit device' - implying that it was deliberately designed to stop Tornado from going down - Jonathan Pearce's commentary also claims that Team Razer believed that Tornado was 'suspended in the pit', despite the Judges still considering it mobile by the time of Razer's attempted pitting. During the Extreme 2 European Championship, Vincent Blood revealed that the outcome of the battle had not been received well by fans of Razer itself. Although he did not reveal the full extent of their criticism on-screen, their responses inferred allegations of cheating on Team Tornado's part. Immediately following the Grand Final's initial airing, Blood congratulated Team Tornado on their victory, acknowledging that the Judges' decision was fair and that Razer's final attack came too late to turn the battle in its favour. In another post, Blood countered the aforementioned allegations, confirming that Tornado's 'anti-crusher weapon' had been declared in advance to the Robot Wars technical crew and approved for competition. This matter was also addressed by Noel Sharkey before the televised battle itself. It should also be noted that Tornado's 'anti-crusher weapon' was built to the maximum dimensions allowed by the technical rules at the time, which enabled robots to be built larger than the pit itself (for example, The Morgue and the Extreme 1 version of Major Tom). In response to questions surrounding whether Tornado should have won the decision, Andrew Marchant reiterated these rules while also suggesting ways in which it could be pitted with the 'anti-crusher weapon' equipped. As Razer did not let go when it held Tornado completely over the pit, and dragged it back while trying to force it down at an angle, a possible pitting or stranding was not achieved before time ran out. While Tornado's 'anti-crusher weapon' complied with the Series 6 build rules, some roboteers also expressed concerns regarding the weapon's defensive attributes and its implications for future Robot Wars competitions. Team Hypno-Disc in particular recollect an ambivalent response, which perceived the addition of similar weaponry as technically compliant, but potentially unsportsmanlike. Indeed, Team Tornado had previously been forced to abandon their 'anti-axe' and 'anti-spinner' weapons after they were deemed to be defensive additions; the latter was originally intended to be used against Hypno-Disc in their Semi-Final battle.http://www.teamtornado.co.uk/rwd15.htm Despite these concerns, judge and former technical consultant Mat Irvine remained supportive of the 'anti-crusher weapon'; during a guest interview leading to the Extreme 2 Challenge Belt final, he again noted its eligibility under the then-current technical rules, and encouraged the use of this and other similar devices pending any further rule changes. The presence of Tornado's 'anti-axe', 'anti-spinner' and 'anti-crusher' weapons ultimately led to defensive add-ons and interchangeable weapons with defensive features being prohibited for Series 7, which also saw the maximum dimensions for competitor robots reduced to 2 metres long by 1.2 metres wide.http://runamok.tech/rules/RW7_rules.html Trivia *Tornado became the first robot ever to win the UK Championship while beating the previous winner en route to the title, and in the process, Razer became the first UK Champion to obtain the runner-up position after being crowned champion. Both feats were repeated in Series 10. *Terrorhurtz became the third robot with an overhead weapon to reach a Grand Final. *This was Firestorm's third and last Grand Final. *The Sixth Wars Grand Final was the only Grand Final where neither of the robots in the final battle were armed with a lifting or flipping weapon, although Razer added a hook on the end of its claw to act as a makeshift lifter. *All four Grand Finalists defeated at least one of the previous year's semi-finalists en route to the Grand Final. This had previously occurred in Series 3 and 5. *This was the only Grand Final of the original series where the qualifiers from the same semi-final did not fight each other. Razer and Firestorm 4 qualified from the first semi-final but did not meet in this final (nor did Tornado and Terrorhurtz). *For the second year running, Razer only had two fights from its heat featured in the Jonathan Pearce recap, out of three, the least of all finalists recapped. *In the recap, during the recap of the first semi-final, Razer's battle against Dantomkia was shown before Firestorm 4's battle against S3. In the actual episode, it was the other way round. *Only four House Robots appeared throughout the whole episode - Shunt in all four battles, Sir Killalot in the first eliminator, Mr. Psycho in the second eliminator and Dead Metal in the play-off and Grand Final. *All four robots in this Grand Final competed in a World Championship at some point. *This was the final appearance of Dominic Parkinson from Team Hurtz. References Category:The Sixth Wars Category:Episodes containing the Series Champion